


awfully average?

by nxgitoes



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Hinata Hajime, Dangan Ronpa 3: Despair Arc, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hinata Hajime & Nanami Chiaki Friendship, Insecurity, Jealousy, Komaeda Nagito Is Obsessed With Hope, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Requited Love, Reserve Course (Dangan Ronpa), Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 23:27:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30029496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nxgitoes/pseuds/nxgitoes
Summary: "It's not that I despise you! You just confuse me!" He mentally facepalmed himself at the withering of his state."Well, that isn't very misleading at all."-Hinata Hajime, an ordinary reserve course student, and Komaeda Nagito meet through the vending machine encounter; he is more than reluctant to ask for help with carrying the Dr. Hopper cans back to his classroom.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito
Comments: 4
Kudos: 106





	awfully average?

**Author's Note:**

> this fic left me in despair. my writing is so bad, im so sorry 😃
> 
> the pov changes once and then back to komaeda. but, you can tell it's hinata's pov bc it's blandly obvious.
> 
> to make it easier, " `°` " is a pov change.

" _Aw, how_ unlucky..."

"I put in a thousand yen, yet no drink..." Komaeda's eyes adjusted to the signal of an error message that unexpectedly popped out to him, and he couldn't help but sigh.

Though, this was common for somebody like Komaeda, as he was the Ultimate Lucky Student after all. Not only would he earn good luck, but he may also receive bad luck from time to time.

Soon enough, the boy would have to return to his classroom, empty-handed and with a dry mouth.

"I'm the unluckiest guy ever," Komaeda says, frowning at his misfortune and an intense curse that only fills people with despair. Luck was a burden, however, only trash like him could hold it...

He wallows in his temporary distress for a short duration of time before a towering shadow loomed over him, crushing that sorrow within him. _And also the vending machine._

A surprised expression painted his face, noting to himself that this was a hefty amount of good luck as the machine spewed out various cans, exceeding the quantity he hoped for.

With so many cans, how could he even ponder the possibility of carrying all of these to class by himself?

"Ah, I guess I am lucky after all!" He chuckles to himself and lifts the can to his face, staring for a second... almost like-

"Uh, hello?" A voice spoke from behind him, sounding quite sheepish and essentially embarrassed, "That's a... crazy amount. Did the machine malfunction or something?"

Komaeda laughs again, the noise lively, "I sincerely doubt it, because you see-" In the process of turning around to face the mysterious figure, he felt himself freeze. It's the same uniform he sees on those lowly brats who pay their way into this prestigious school, deluding themselves into believing they are worthy of being in the Ultimates' presence-

The guy in that black uniform flinches under the hard glare that Komaeda wasn't aware of. He takes a moment to inspect him. The first noticeable trait of this boy was the strand of hair seeming to perk up out of his head, which was somewhat unusual in its own way. Besides that, it appears to be the only characteristic of him that doesn't come across as average.

Reserve-kun coughs, sinking further into his enclosure.

"Hey, a-are you okay?" He asks, and the silence forbids. After studying his character and his body language, Komaeda has concluded that this reserve course student was rather odd. He presumes all of them are in some similarity.

"Yes... did you need something though?" Komaeda says, scoffing and shifting away to pick up a can with a thorough hand.

Speculating that the reserve course student is the only person available, it is logical to ask him for help. But, asking for help from somebody else, nonetheless, a reserve course student?

The brunette goes to open his mouth until Komaeda groans, "Actually, help me carry these, will you?" The lucky student leans down to pick up the cans on the ground and starts shoving them in his backpack, motioning to the dozens of soda cans on the ground.

"Maybe introductions are a g-good idea... I'm Hinata Hajime," He's extended his hand out towards Komaeda, sort of parallel to a truce. On the contrary, the boy on the opposite end merely felt exclusively hatred towards the reserve course, which meant the hand hovered in the air.

He hesitates and stares at Komaeda, up until the boy also crouches down next to him and gathers up the cans, serving as an additional pouch. The mediocre guy was able to hold up to ten cans, before standing up and stretching his legs.

Once Komaeda finishes picking up the excessive number of cans, he turns to the boy who was staring at him with a bizarre articulation.

"Komaeda Nagito, the Ultimate Lucky Student," He mutters, inflicting a cheeky yet perky smile from Hinata. Komaeda ignored the butterflies that unexpectedly fluttered through his stomach; he disregarded the burn in his chest as a spike of annoyance.

`°`

Once they both arrived at the classroom, Hinata was bombarded with welcomes from the rest of the students who recognized that he was from the reserve course.

Komaeda smiles at the rest of his classmates, going to his desk along with Hinata and placing the Dr. Hoppers on the lucky student's desk.

"Did my amazing student finally make a friend?" The teacher with orange hair cried, lunging at Hinata and shaking his hand with eagerness, "Komaeda's friend must be so kind to help him with such a task!"

Hinata laughs awkwardly, shifting his head towards Komaeda to see his face hidden from sight, the white-haired boy's head directed at the floor.

"Are you our new teacher?" Komaeda asks instead and entirely avoiding the implication that they were friends. 

"Yes, and my first job as your new teacher," She pointed her finger at Komaeda, "You will all bond together and create cheerful, hopeful memories with each other!"

Now, as much as Hinata appreciated the passion in the teacher's heart, he probably shouldn't be intruding...

"That includes this quiet boy here!" Afterward, the teacher shifts her index finger towards Hinata, the familiar pounding in his ears sounding louder than the voices encircling him.

"Uhh - I'm s-sorry to interrupt," He speaks louder through the voices, "But, I wouldn't want to be disturbing everyone, especially since I'm not even apart of this class."

The teacher chuckles heartily, "Nonsense! Any friends of my students are students of mine!"

But, when he whirls his head to contemplate Komaeda's reaction, he only sees wavering skepticism and a typical expression that arises on people's faces when they find out he's a reserve course student. That exact expression littered Komaeda's face and revealed through his body, his fists clenching and unclenching; the white-haired boy's only indication of contentment was the closed-eye smile he conveyed, but even he understood that was just a charade.

"That's wonderful, Yukizome-san! To have bonding exercises with all of us would surely stimulate everyone's hope!" Komaeda spoke; the bitterness in his voice was disguised behind his fake smile, and Hinata can't bear to look.

_This guy has some severe problems._

Yukizome, who patted his fluffy, white hair, left the room with no other word being said. Then, Komaeda plopped down in his seat with a drawn-out sigh.

`°`

_This is so ridiculous! Having to spend more time with this reserve course student than necessary is troublesome. I just wanted him to help me with the cans and leave, but I can't argue with the teacher..._

Komaeda's eyes led to the reserve course student, who came off as awkward as he nudged his foot at the floor. He struggled to avoid the next thought that came to mind.

_When the boy is awkward, it's kinda cute._

He shook his head with a groan before staring at his desk and zoning out. Time passed by way too unhurried, and usually, the white-haired boy didn't bother to care, but with how uncomfortable the atmosphere was, it was so overwhelming.

"I'm Nanami Chiaki, the Ultimate Gamer," A drained-out voice from behind him spoke serenely. His head twitched as he directed his attention to the two people now intermingling and communicating. Komaeda's shoulders eased up scarcely.

Until that is, he saw a flush on the brunette's face.

His eyebrows furrowed; the boy's chest burned with irritation at the sight, and Komaeda took a second to inhale deeply. ' _Why would he feel anger at this? Why does he feel like slamming his head into a wall?_ ' He thought to himself, staring at the supposed crushing boy who timidly snickers at something she said and frowning.

"You okay, Komaeda?" The pink-haired boy asks him, and he snaps out of his thoughts, smiling at Soda-kun.

"Yes, just remembered something, that's all." Soda didn't seem reassured, but he nodded and turned to ramble to Sonia.

Komaeda takes one more glance at the two before releasing a breath. This odd feeling in his stomach definitely won't be departing anytime soon.

After a couple of minutes, with Komaeda's thoughts a mishmash of disorientation, Yukizome-san entered the classroom, with an assortment of games and activities in her hands.

From board games to video games that came in the shape of a console, Nanami looked enthusiastic about the change of events. Hinata smiled and hesitantly took a seat at the one empty seat at the back of the classroom.

With manifested widened eyes, Komaeda never thought to notice that there may be a reason for the unanswerably empty seat. Nobody has ever occupied that desk for the years he's been in this class, but -- that would be foolish to even conjure up. The reserve course student was average in every way. The thought driven him to wince. He was thinking too heavily about this, but the hatred deep in his heart about this ignorant brunette accumulated to havoc and constrained frustration.

_This guy pisses me off in every way possible._

The teacher sets out the games, chuckling, "I don't think I know your name yet, but is it easy to make friends in the reserve course?" Yukizome gasps after a second of abrupt realization, "Sorry! That was a bit personal of me to ask, my apologies!"

Hinata smiles again yet it looks strained, "It's alright. The reserve course is a bit of a handful and the work in there is advanced, but I guess I have at least one friend in there..." The grimace on his face was evident, "My name is Hinata Hajime, you can call me whatever you'd like though."

Just a slim of dissatisfaction in his tone, but not just anyone could detect it easily. After the reserve course is mentioned, he deteriorates and grows fragile like glass. Who _wouldn't_ though? Being in the reserve course is shameful.

"Well, no need to worry here!" Yukizome's eyes shone with vigor, "All of my students would never judge somebody based on their background or where they came from! I can say with certainty that you uphold deep aspiration for friendship."

_Yeah, right. I would never be friends with a reserve course student-_

The brunette in question sounded a jovial and appreciative laugh, the noise euphonic to his ears. It made his ears buzz moments after it ended because the hope in his laugh was too overindulgent. That made no sense, as he's a _reserve course student_. It shouldn't compel his heart to pick up and his legs to quiver.

_Hopefully, he'll leave as soon as possible._

And with that, the games commenced with all of them placed into teams. In the first group, Mioda, Soda, Mitarai, and Tsumiki. Then, in the second group, Pekoyama, Saionji, Koizumi, and Tanaka. Next, the third group was composed of Hanamura, Owari, Nidai, and Kuzuryuu.

As Komaeda expected, he got put into the group with Hinata in it. Just his _luck._ Along with Nanami and Sonia.

"The bonding time proceeds! The winners of each round will get a reward," Yukizome held a lofty pole in her hand, twirling it around with gusto. Whispers articulated throughout the room, ' _Where did that come from?'_ Komaeda thought he heard Owari dazedly mumble.

He had to put up with Hinata in the meantime, even if it meant playing games with him... The idea definitely didn't come across as appealing to Komaeda.

The first round of gaming went in favor of Nanami, who passed with flying colors and destroyed them all. What _game, you ask?_ Komaeda couldn't answer, as he's not familiar with games.

Nanami, Mioda, Tanaka, and Owari all earn their rewards, which consisted of items related to their talents. It was in a way, exhilarating to see his classmates so passionate about the prizes. Komaeda wondered for a moment, what gift would fit with his supposed talent.

Although, the next round was a bit more hectic. A game, he was familiar with this time -- _S_ _uper Smash Bros._

Nanami managed to knock Sonia off the platform within a minute, immediately exterminating her. He distinguished the groan of defeat from Sonia, but Komaeda was too immersed in the high of playing the game to mind. It seemed useless though as Nanami shortly annihilated him with a combo, his character gliding across the map.

He sighed, receding into his seat and smiling. Of course, he _was unable_ to defeat the Ultimate Gamer; her talent was truly incredible.

Komaeda turned his attention back to the game to expect to see the screen of victory and the gleaming first place medal. Yet, the two students next to him were still entirely engrossed in the game, their eyes sparkling with a challenge, an ongoing back-and-forth frenzy of attacks. Hinata and Nanami, fighting for the glory... it was mesmerizing.

_Who would win? The Ultimate Gamer or this random, talentless reserve course student?_

The thrill of the game got to him, and he observed conscientiously, noting how Hinata was experienced in the gaming department, the rapid tapping of buttons seeming rather strategic and calculated. Nanami almost appeared to be facing problems, until Hinata seized the victory by a landslide. He managed to win, by which Nanami froze in her seat.

..  
.

Komaeda felt himself shaking as he was in complete awe currently. A controller fell to the ground, a loud thud sounding and a clamor of noise followed after.

The class surmounted into applause, the enthusiasm rendering Hinata apprehensive. It was something that Komaeda would have never anticipated.

"Good game, Hinata," Nanami high-fives the brunette, who in turn, smiles back apologetically, "You would be fun to play games with later, I think."

Komaeda kneads at his head when a wave of irritation hits him, not recognizing what it was. This boy has reduced him to astonishment so easily, but he shouldn't have been impressed so easily by a measly, low reserve course student.

_Normal, average, mediocre... in all manner of ways..._

_Or maybe - that's what I'm trying to convince myself._

The lucky student, trying not to alert his classmates, rises from his spot. Hinata was thus far still surrounded by the others, who were showering him with appreciations. He quietly slipped out of the room, and potentially, Komaeda visualized every talent the boy could seemingly possess. It made him furious, but the thoughts came to him unfaltering.

He needed fresh air, the white-haired boy decided.

It was already getting darker, the moon glowing the sky with an essence of grace. _The hope in an atmosphere of despair_ , he could acknowledge nightfall was gorgeous. It soothed his frantic, hostile thoughts, and Komaeda took an inhale of pure air. Not a moment of silence went wasted.

Until that is, the obvious loudness of a door behind him alerted him, his head jerking up. There soon Hinata in all his "glory", an expression of trouble on his face as he kept his gaze to the ground.

" _So, what? "_ Komaeda sneered at him, "Did someone force you to come and get me? Is my worthless presence needed in the classroom?"

Hinata's expression turned to one of distress, and he sighed, "You're not worthless. I was just worried about where you went. Nobody forced me to do anything."

Komaeda's anger swelled as his thoughts immediately began to run feral.

_He thinks he has the right to be so entitled- Does he pity me? So sickening... As if he's not worthless himself. A reserve course student trying to befriend an Ultimate and get all buddy-buddy with the rest of them. You will never be in the talent course..._

A rise of discomfort rushed through him once he thought those things, but why? He shouldn't feel remorse for being honest.

"Yeah, whatever," He grunted, peering back to the sky and attempting to ignore Hinata's efforts at befriending him.

His efforts only seemed to rise though. Hinata's figure came into view at the corner of his eye as he stood next to him, staring at the sky.

"Am I repelling to be around?" Hinata asked and held a face of sorrow or regret. He couldn't help but recoil at that.

"What?"

"You seemed disgusted by me this whole time," The brunette's gaze grew distant.

Multiple emotions engulfed him, such as resentment, guiltiness, and panic.

He spoke his mind in a hurry, "It's not that I despise you! You just confuse me!" Komaeda mentally facepalmed himself at the withering of his state.

_Of course, I loathe you... you're in the reserve course -_

"Well, that isn't very misleading at all," Hinata sarcastically chuckled, and his bitterness heightened at that.

_Stop it. Stop it. Stop it._

Komaeda remained silent, an uncomfortable tension filling the pure air. When he breathed in, the air only stung his lungs. He urged himself to leave right now before he was demoted to worse than debris.

However, he didn't. His feet stayed planted in the ground, incapable of moving.

"Komaeda, how do you feel?" Hinata spoke his name for the first time, and it ignited shivers up his spine.

The lucky student took a moment to think about the question. _How did he feel?_ It was a relatively sudden question to ask somebody, but from the tone, it was clearly honest.

His words came to him automatically, "Angry. Troubled. Weak..." Hinata frowned upon hearing that, and he craved disappearing now.

"How so?" The reserve course student inquired. It was annoying, how high of himself he was. How he thought he could magically _repair_ Komaeda. He noticed the olive green eyes shine in the moonlight, how his freckles looked like constellations on his cheeks, how his slightly tan skin just _looked right._ It was infuriating him more than ever.

"You're a reserve course student, yet you make me feel things I don't want to feel! You lead me to believe that hope could possibly be flourished, even from a talentless individual like yourself! It goes against everything I believe in, and it even-" He ceased his rant there before he went too far, yet the moment he spoke, he already passed his limits.

Hinata stood in stillness, opening his mouth and closing it for a couple of seconds before inhaling and exhaling.

"I saw you beat Nanami, and I was in complete amazement. Somebody without a talent defeated the spectacular Ultimate Gamer! So not only was I shocked, I was fascinated... Hinata, you are hypocritical." Komaeda let out a shaky breath, "At least Nanami approves of you, maybe that would be a promising characteristic for a partner."

"Partner? As in like girlfriend? I don't really like her romantically..." Hinata rubbed the back of his neck delicately, "She's not exactly my type."

With a grimace, Komaeda found himself dumbfounded by why he brought up the topic of a partner.

"Oh."

"Yeah, in truth, I prefer guys more than girls..." Hinata drew out, and the palpitation of his heart skyrocketed. _Why? Why did he feel so relieved?_

The brunette turned to him with a minor smile, and he passed him a slip of folded paper. When he unraveled the sheet, a number revealed in neat yet messy handwriting. _A phone number,_ to be exact.

Komaeda spluttered, his voice cracking as a flush rose to his pale cheeks, "W-Why did you hand _me_ this?"

He cracks up at the display of flusteredness, "Honestly, I find you very attractive, and I was wondering if I could get to know you more."

_What...? He finds me attractive? I've never known anybody who has thought of me in that way..._

"I- I- I'm sorry, for the way I treated you," He directed his head towards the ground shamefully, ending up defenseless. Perhaps, he could get to know what makes this boy tick.

"You d-don't have to be sorry, it's fine to be wary to a reserve course student..."

"But, it is my fault. Trash like me deserves the worst," Komaeda sighed, drowning in his self-deprecating thoughts again.

"I will come to assure you that you are not trash," Hinata said determinedly. Almost as if it will happen, no questions asked.

_As if._

"I'll like to see you try, Hinata-kun."

**Author's Note:**

> am i getting better at writing or not? i can't tell. 🙂
> 
> so, my original idea was to just write the first scene where he helped him bring them to komaeda's classroom and left, but i decided to carry it on since i don't like ending stories without some kind of happy ending. :P
> 
> also, don't get me wrong, i know how the anime episode went initially, where yukizome and the class went out looking for komaeda. in the scene, she hands him the drink on the ground happily and then magically, i'm guessing the rest of the classmates help bring them back to the class. i just thought it would be better that way, and it's my fic. my rules 🤩🤩


End file.
